Letter and document distributer



No. 753,538. 7 PATENTBD MAR. 1, 1904.

' F. BRISTOW- LETTER AND DOCUMENT DISTRIBUTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22, 1903.

.K0 MODEL.

Z I D F v a l wa-wtoz UNITED ST TES- Patentea Maren i, 1964'.

PATENT ()FFICE.

LE TTER AND DOCUMENT DISTRIBUTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 753,538,-da.ted March 1, 1904.

Application filed June 22, 1903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK BRIsTow, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have made a new and useful Invention in Letter and DocumentDistributers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is directed particularly to a portable letter and document distributer or rack designed for use in large manufacturing or other institutions or business houses where the business manager or any other official who has to do with the distribution of letters, documents, memoranda, orders, bills, or the like may use the same, said rack being generally placed upon the desk of the user and in front of him, so that in distributing the various subject-matter it may be easily accessible.

To'this end it consist'sin the novel rack illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the especial points of novelty being particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

Referring now to the drawings for a full and clear understanding of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to construct and use the same, Figure 1 represents a plan view of my improvement with the detachable radially-disposed dividing-partitions removed from the body part thereof; and Fig. 2 represents alongitudinal sectional view taken therethrough with the detachable or, if preferred, rigid or fixed radially-dis posed partitions shown in elevational view and a number of letters, memoranda, or other documents in position between two of said partitions.

In large manufacturing or other institutions or in business houses generally it is customary for the manager or such other person who has general supervision of the business to use wicker or wire baskets divided into compartments by permanent partitions constructed of the same material as the baskets, the particular compartments being lettered or otherwise marked in such manner as to indicate that particular department of the business to which the mail-matter or other mate- Serial No. 162,571. (No model.)

rial dropped therein is to be distributed or sent. I

My invention contemplates the construction of a cheap, simple, and efficient rack of this quire a greater space in such racks than others. My invention has a further utility in that it enables the detachable partitions to be all removed and closely packed together when it is clllesired to ship the same either singly or in bu Referring now to the drawings in detail, A represents a wooden base preferably about eighteen inches in length and fourteen inches in width and adapted to rest with its lower surface when in use upon the top of a desk, table, or the like.

E represents a semicylindrical or semi-elliptical body part, preferably of wood, in which is-cut a series of grooves O in the direction of the length thereof. Said body part is secured to the base by screws F F and has its opposite ends covered by wooden end plates B B of an ornamental nature secured also by screws F F. This body part I have illustrated in the drawings as of hollow conformation for the purpose of making it light. The

same might be made solid, if preferred, -*or it might be made up of separate pieces of wood secured to the end plates B by individual screws F F ateach end of each piece.

DI) D are detachable radially-disposed partitions made, preferably, of heavy cardboard, although they may be of tin, thin wood, or other sheet-like material and may be fixed or secured in-radial positions directly to the base instead of being detachable. These radiallydisposed partitions are inserted sidewise directly into the grooves C C of the body part E in the manner shown in Fig. 2 and are preferably of greater area at points near the center of the rack. For ordinary use these sheet-like partitions are all placed in the grooves G in the manner shown. Said partitions are also marked or otherwise lettered in the usual manner by characters giving indication of the division or room to which the inclosed mail-matter or memoranda is to be distributed. 7

When it is desired to increase the size of any one of the compartments, a correspondmakes it possible for one 'to insert the hand to the entire depth of any compartment, and thereby grasp any letter, postal card, or the smallest package which may deposited in a compartment, while the fact that the ends of the compartments are wholly open makes it possible for persons collecting the material to see at a glance whether or not there is any article in any particular compartment.

When in daily use, this rack is placed upon the desk before the business manager or superintendent in the manner shown in Fig. 2, and the papers, memoranda, or other subjectmatter P to be distributed are placed in their proper compartments,where they remain-until called for by the messenger or other person authorized to collect them.

I am aware that bag-holding racks have heretofore been devised having radially-disposed partitions detachably secured in grooves in end plates attached to the opposite ends of a base or support, the arrangement being such that the bags when in position within the rack are held against removal otherwise than in a radial direction, and I make no claim hereinafter broad enough to include such structures. My invention contemplates, broadly, however, a letter and document distributer having radially-disposed partitions secured at their lower or inner edges in longitudinal grooves in the base only, the ar rangement being such that both ends of the compartments between the radially-disposed partitions are always open, so as to leave the documents to be distributed always exposed both to the distributer and the persons who collect the same and to render said documents easily accessible to said parties at all times.

Having thus described my invention, what- I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A portable memorandum-rack for desk use embodying a series of flexible or yielding radially-disposed partitions of sheet-like form secured in grooves in a base or support and at their lower edges only, substantially as described.

2. A portable memorandum-rack for desk use embodying a base or body part and a series of flexible or yielding radially-disposed partitions of sheet-like form secured thereto at their lower or inner edges only, substan tially as described. I

3. A portable memorandum-rack for desk use embodying a base, a body part secured thereto and provided with longitudinal grooves; in combination with a series of flexi ble detachable partitions of sheet-like form adapted to fit in said grooves, the arrangement being such that the partitions are held at their lower or inner edges only and that the compartments are Wholly open at both ends, substantially as described.

4. A portable memorandum-rack 'for desk use embodying a series of radially-disposed flexible or yielding partitions of sheet-like form detachably secured at their lower or inner edges only to a body part provided with longitudinal grooves, substantially as de scribed.

5. A portable memorandum-rack for desk use embodying a base and a body part, the latter being provided with longitudinal grooves radially disposed; in combination with a series of detachable flexible or yielding partitions of sheet-like form adapted to be inserted in said grooves and held therein by their lower or inner edges only so that the compartments are all open on three sides, substantially as described.

6. A portable memorandum-rack for desk use embodying a base A and a curvilinear body part E having longitudinal grooves C radially cut therein; in combination with a series of flexible or yielding detachable partitions D, D of sheet-like form adapted'to be inserted radially in said grooves, and end plates secured to the opposite ends of the body part E, the compartments between said partitions being open on all sides so that the documents to be distributed are visible and removable from opposite ends of the rack.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK BRISTOW. Witnesses:

MATIEL V. OGDEN, L. HUBBELL. 

